1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dock monitoring system and more particularly to a monitoring system for monitoring operations at a truck docking facility to obtain improved safety and traffic control, facilitate scheduling and planning and obtain increases in productivity and utilization of capital investment. The system of the invention is inexpensive, readily placed in operation, is easy to use and provides permanent records of operations.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Systems have heretofore been provided for controlling operations and indicating operations at truck docking facilities. The Hahn U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,755 discloses a system in which signal lights are provided on the inside and outside of a dock facility to give dock personnel and truck drivers clearly visible indications of when it is safe or unsafe to load or unload a truck or to park or remove a truck, and to provide other safety features. An improvement of the system of the Hahn Patent is disclosed in an application of Glenn Trickle and Michael A. Swessel, U.S. Ser. No. 131,196, filed Dec. 10, 1987, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,373, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. This application issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,373 on June 27, 1989. The system of Trickle U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,373 includes a programmable control unit which is versatile and provides various safe and reliable modes of operation, being also operable to perform diagnostic operations. These systems have produced increased safety and efficiency in loading and unloading operations with the result that problems and the possibilities for other improvements have not been recognized.